CIS - Central Intelligence Agency


About CIA

Our mission is straightforward but critical: leverage the power of information to keep our Nation safe.

We are the Nation’s first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go.

What We Do

To stop threats before they happen and further U.S. national security objectives, we:

--Collect foreign intelligence;

--Produce objective analysis; and

--Conduct covert action, as directed by the president.

We do not make policy or policy recommendations. Instead, our Agency serves as an independent source of information for people who do.

We are not a law enforcement organization. However, we do work with the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and law enforcement agencies on many complex issues ranging from counterintelligence to counterterrorism.

How We Do It

To meet the intelligence needs of today and tomorrow, we:

Lead specialized, multidisciplinary Mission Centers to address high-priority issues including nonproliferation, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, organized crime, narcotics trafficking, and arms control, to name a few;

Build strong partnerships between intelligence collection disciplines;
Produce all-source analysis on a range of topics and participate in Intelligence Community-wide efforts; and

Contribute to the greater Intelligence Community by managing services of common concern, like imagery analysis and open-source collection, while partnering on technical research and development.